


Behind Bars

by KarinaMay



Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Detroit: Evolution
Genre: Alcohol, All Human AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Asexual Character, F/F, Law School, M/M, POV Alternating, Smoking, Swearing, Those last two really go for all my fics involving Gavin tbh, don't ask me if it's Legally Blond or How To Get Away With Murder I literally don't know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26373730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarinaMay/pseuds/KarinaMay
Summary: Gavin, Nines, Ada, Tina and North get selected to intern at Jeffrey Fowler's law firm during their first semester. What should've been a life changing opportunity quickly turns into a big mess when Nines' and Ada's father, Elijah Kamski, appears to be involved in a high profile case. Ada, who's always been their father's favourite child, learns the hard way that favouritism can easily be used against her. Nines desperately tries to keep his family together, and finds assistance with his newfound friend, Gavin, who seems to have a talent for using his knowledge of the law to find creative ways around it. Meanwhile, Gavin falls hard for Nines, but doubts the feeling is mutual, and even if it was, it'd be rude to pull Nines' attention away from his family troubles, right?POV switches per chapter between Gavin, Nines and Ada.This is the multichapter version of the oneshot I wrote for #DEArtfest back in July, called First Impressions.
Relationships: Ada (Detroit: Evolution)/North (Detroit: Become Human), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 17
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpringlockedSpectre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpringlockedSpectre/gifts).



> I said I'd do it and here we are! 
> 
> Work dedicated to SpringlockedSpectre because they're a supportive bean and I appreciate that a lot.

**_Gavin_ **

Gavin shot up in bed with a start, convinced someone was trying to break through the door of his dorm room, glancing around frantically for a moment before his eyes landed on the alarm clock on his bedside table. Fuck. Half past eight. 

“Gavin, I swear to god, if you’re still in bed I’m going to murder you!” Tina yelled from outside the door. 

“No I’m up!” Gavin yelled back, jumping out of bed and running to the door to open it before his best friend actually decided to kick it in. 

Tina stood outside, arms crossed across her chest and trying her best to give him a disapproving look. It didn’t last long when she saw Gavin. She snorted. “You forgot to set your alarm again, didn’t you?” 

“Did not,” Gavin said, walking back into the room, and grabbing a T-shirt from the pile in the closet. He pulled it over his head, while Tina stood in the door, tapping her foot impatiently. “I was just… Making sure I got enough sleep to be able to pay attention better today?”

“Bullshit,” Tina said. “Those jeans have coffee stains on them, by the way.”

Gavin glanced down as he zipped up his fly and shrugged. “Other pair’s worse.”

He grabbed his old jacket from his desk chair and grabbed his heavy bag next to it, slinging it over his shoulder. 

“I’m guessing we don’t have time to grab coffee on the way?” He sighed, as he glanced in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair. He certainly didn’t  _ look  _ like he’d slept in. More like he hadn’t slept in a month. He felt like it too. 

“No way,” Tina replied, grabbing his arm. “It’s the first day. We’re not gonna be late today. North already went without us because apparently professor Fowler is terrifying.”

She started dragging him down the hallway, and Gavin, still half asleep, didn’t protest. He knew better than to argue with her anyway. 

They arrived at the lecture ten minutes early. North was waiting for them by the entrance, looking slightly annoyed, but Gavin had found that she usually did. 

“There you are,” she said. “What took you so long? Don’t tell me it was you who took ages, Gavin, you still look like shit.” 

“Right back at you, North.”

“You could’ve found a seat without us,” Tina pointed out. 

“Yeah, I could’ve,” North agreed. “But I hate most other people.”

“Mood,” Gavin said, as he looked around. “There’s a couple of free seats in the front row there. Guess people are really scared of this professor Fowler if no one’s sitting there yet.”

They walked over and took the empty seats. Gavin looked around the room; it was nearly full now. Everyone was bright and early on their first day, it seemed. He could already feel the lack of caffeine starting to kick in and made a note to himself to make sure he looked awake and interested the next couple hours. 

Tina nudged his shoulder and whispered, “We made it, Gav.”

Gavin smiled at her. He was actually proud to be there. He’d never admit it out loud, but he hadn’t expected to be into the program in the first place. Tina and he had been working to get into law school together since they’d met in their sophomore year in high school. It had been a long time coming. Gavin had always been sure that Tina would make it, but he’d been less certain about his own capabilities, given his explosive nature and difficulty focussing. 

It was almost time for the lecture to commence, but the dreaded professor Fowler hadn’t shown up yet. Gavin glanced over at the door just in time to witness the arrival of two yet unfamiliar students. 

They’d most of the people in their program during various parties on campus the week before, but Gavin was sure he didn’t remember the two people walking in now. 

First through the door was a girl with pale blond hair, an angular face, and bizarrely bright blue eyes. Behind her was a very tall, slim guy, with dark brown hair, styled in a perfect side part, and with the same striking blue eyes. They were clearly related. Gavin couldn’t help himself from staring at the guy, and had to consciously keep his mouth from falling up. Yeah, he’d definitely have remembered  _ that  _ face. 

“Oh my god,” North breathed. 

“Holy shit,” Gavin whispered at the same time, eyes still glued on the mystery man. Now that the two had walked into the room, Gavin could see him more clearly. He had an infuriatingly perfect, Ken-doll face, moved gracefully, with purpose, and wore a frankly ridiculous white leather jacket. Or rather, the jacket would’ve looked ridiculous on literally anybody else, but this guy pulled it off somehow. 

“Stop staring, you weird fucking disasters,” Tina whispered pointedly. 

The two exchanged a couple of words and Gavin tore his eyes away to look at Tina again.

“What?” He asked quietly. “What the fuck am I supposed to do then? Have you  _ seen  _ him?”

“You’re supposed to keep your shit together, you idiot,” Tina said. 

“Shut up they’re coming over,” North added. 

“Are these seats taken?” The guy asked. His voice was perfect. Of course his voice was fucking perfect. Composed, polite, melodious. 

“Nah, go ahead,” Gavin said, trying to sound nonchalant, gesturing at the empty seats. 

Mister Perfect Everything stood there for a second, looking back at Gavin, before his sister - presumably - nudged him in the back. He sat down next to Gavin, who consciously pulled his legs a bit closer together to make space. Gavin tried not to continue staring as the guy grabbed his stuff. 

“Hi, I’m Nines,” he said then, extending his hand to Gavin. 

“What the hell kinda name is that?” Gavin asked, before he could stop himself.  _ Idiot _ . 

Tina leaned over Gavin’s shoulder. “Gavin, don’t be an asshole on the first day. At least try to make a good impression for once. Hi Nines, I’m Tina, next to me is North.”

“Nice to meet you Tina,” Nines said, awkwardly lowering his hand again while Gavin was still yelling at himself in his head. “This is my sister, Ada.”

“Hey,” Ada said around Nines. 

“And I’m professor Fowler!”

They all jumped in their seats when the sudden loud voice broke through their conversation. In front of the whiteboard stood a tall, imposing looking man, in an expensive suit and with a stern expression on his face. 

“Now that we’ve all introduced ourselves, let’s get started on today’s lecture, shall we?” He continued. “Welcome everybody, to Criminal Law 101. Please pull up today’s reading - which I assume everyone did - and we can get started.”

Next to Gavin, Nines pulled the file up on his slick looking tablet. A harsh comparison to Gavin’s old laptop. The class fell silent, but Gavin was still preoccupied with the awkward non-introduction.

He gathered his courage and nudged Nines’ elbow. “Like Tina said,” he whispered. “I’m Gavin. Nice to meet you, too, Nines.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is largely the same as the oneshot I wrote, and the next one is a bit of an extention of that, which is why they're both fairly short. After chapter 2 they're probably gonna be longer. Just so you know. 
> 
> Love to see you again!
> 
> -X


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ada doesn't really like people, but Nines does.

**_Ada_ **

As interesting as the lecture had been, Ada was glad when it ended. Though Nines was the one who usually complained about people staring at them and she pretended like she didn’t care, she really did. She knew they stood out. Even without telling people their last name, they caught people’s interest. They looked eccentric, the contrast between them striking while they usually moved as a unit, and somehow people seemed to be able to smell they came from money. And then of course there was that  _ look  _ that crossed over people’s faces when their last names were read out. Ada and Richard - “ _ NINES!” -  _ Kamski. 

It was a name that came with many expectations. People presumed they were everything from arrogant to highly intelligent to snobby. Most people didn’t like them on principle and before even talking to them. 

Thankfully, professor Fowler had given them something else to focus on. An essay competition with a prize. Two weeks from now they had to hand in an essay about a case from last year, and based on their work, Fowler would chose five students to intern at his law firm for the semester. 

“We need that internship,” Ada said, as she and Nines made their way to the library to do some initial research. 

“I think the right wording there is ‘ _ you want  _ that internship’,” Nines replied. “I think this semester is going to be enough work as it is.”

“Right,” Ada huffed. “You  _ don’t  _ want an internship that’s going to solidify your career in criminal law from now until forever. Sure.”

“All right, maybe I do,” Nines agreed. “But I bet you the competition is going to be rough. We’re no longer the smart kids by default here, Ada.”

“I’m not a smart kid by default, I’m  _ smart _ ,” Ada said. “Plus, as soon as dad finds out about this thing, he’s going to put the pressure on anyway. He’d probably disown us if we didn’t manage to get to the top five of the class.”

“He’d never disown you,” Nines said, half smiling. “He’s never even yelled at you. I do everything wrong anyway. If it weren’t for you I’d be living on campus paying my own tuition, probably.” 

“Not true,” Ada disagreed, although she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. She always did when their father’s clear favouritism showed. “That apartment is for both of us, and he’s just as proud of you for getting in here as he is of me. He just doesn’t show it.”

“I think I wouldn’t have minded campus,” Nines mused. “At least we would’ve met some people last week. Now everyone already knows each other, and we are once again the weird ones on the sideline.”

“We just met three people,” Ada said. 

“One of them said my name was weird.”

“And you still thought he was cute.”

“He was!”

Ada snorted. “I swear you have no standards at all. He looked like he’d slept in a trashcan.”

“Ada that’s mean,” Nines said. “He just looked a bit rough around the edges. In an attractive way.”

Ada sighed. “I swear sometimes I wonder if we’re really related.”

“I was born fifteen minutes after you there really is no doubting it, Ada,” Nines said. “There's a video of it. For whatever reason. Honestly, who films a birth.”

“Don’t remind me that I ever watched that, please.”

The library on campus was one of the newer buildings, with high ceilings and big windows letting in a lot of light. It wasn’t very busy, presumably because the semester had only started today, and Ada felt immediately at home in the quiet space. It smelled of books and coffee, and the soft murmur of people whispering to each other provided a calming layer of ambient noise. 

They wandered around for a while, looking for relevant titles, and then settled at one of the tables in the back. 

Ada was skimming through an essay about the differences between stand-your-ground laws in different states, when someone else sat down at their table. Ada looked up to see Tina, one of the girls they’d met in the lecture earlier. 

“Hey guys,” Tina said softly. “I don’t wanna bother you, I just need a sec.”

“What’s up?” Nines asked. 

“We noticed you weren’t here for the introductions last week,” Tina said. “We’re going to a bar downtown Friday night - that is, North, Gav and myself - and we thought you might like to tag along? There’s a lot of other students who hang out there as well, if you wanna meet some more people, but I promise Gavin will also make an effort to be nicer than this morning.”

“We were gonna-” Ada started.

“Sounds great,” Nines interrupted. 

Tina smiled. “Great. Lucky Lucy’s is on the corner of Linwood and Chicago Boulevard. We’ll probably be there around 9:30 but don’t worry about being late. Happy hour’s at ten though.”

“We’ll be there.”

“Cool!” Tina said. “Well, I gotta go make sure Gavin doesn’t break another coffee machine, but I’ll see you around in class, I guess!”

She walked away again. 

Ada waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Nines. “Nines I hate bars. You know that.”

“You don’t hate bars,” Nines argued. “You just don’t like meeting new people. We already know these people. It’ll be fun.”

“Can’t you go without me?” Ada whined. “You’re just going to be staring at that human pile of garbage all night and I’ll have no one to talk to.”

“No,” Nines said pointedly. “You also need to make some friends. We can’t just hang out with each other for the rest of eternity. We’ll go insane before we’re thirty. Also I’ll not be staring at Gavin all night, that’d be ridiculous.”

“Oh so only half the night then. Reassuring.” 

Nines rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Ada. You may be more subtle than I am, but don’t think I didn’t notice you  _ noticing  _ that North earlier.”

Ada felt her cheeks redden and she stuck her tongue out at her brother. 

Nines snorted and they both returned to their work. 

Maybe Nines was right. Maybe she should try to make some friends. Plus, however much she teased him about it, it was interesting to see Nines be interested in a guy so fast. It didn’t happen a lot. Tina also seemed nice enough, and - well - she had indeed  _ noticed  _ North. It had been hard to ignore the gorgeous redhead in the front row. 

“Fine, I’ll go,” Ada said after a couple of minutes without looking up.

“That’s what I thought,” Nines replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, chapters coming up after this one are gonna be longer! 
> 
> Let me know what you think so far, and I hope to see you for the next one.
> 
> -x


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nines and alcohol have a difficult relationship.

_**Nines** _

They got to Lucky Lucy’s at 9:45pm, mostly because Ada hadn’t wanted to be the first ones there. Nines didn’t particularly consider himself to be good at social situations, but today he was actually excited. Back when they’d been undergraduates at Detroit Mercy, their father had kept a close eye on their social lives, making sure they didn’t get distracted from their studies. Ann Arbor may not be as far away from his father as Nines wanted to be, but it sure was a start. 

Lucky Lucy’s was already quite busy when they walked in. Next to Nines, Ada stood on her tiptoes to look around.

“I don’t see them,” she said. 

Nines snorted at that, Ada being almost a foot smaller than him, and looked around as well. He easily spotted three familiar faces at a table near the back. “They’re over there.”

Nines and Ada had been hanging out with the other three a fair bit during the week. The seating plan remained the same throughout all classes, which meant that Nines had spent the entire week next to Gavin. Gavin, Nines had learned, really wasn’t a morning person, and could come off a bit hostile before he’d been properly caffeinated. There was never any real malice in his attitude, and Nines had started enjoying their back and forth snark a bit. There was of course that stupid little detail about Gavin’s presence that was a bit less convenient, which was that Nines sometimes found himself getting rather distracted sitting next to him. Though Ada’s description of him looking like he’d slept in a trashcan wasn’t that far off, Nines found there was a strange sort of charm in his rough looks and matching attitude. There was something electric about Gavin. Something that other people probably perceived as dangerous, but was mostly intriguing to Nines. 

Inconvenient as the sudden attraction was in class, Nines was quite happy with the prospect of spending the evening with their newfound friends. They joined them at their table, and Tina immediately went off to get them a round of drinks. She reappeared moments later with everyone’s preferred drinks and they toasted to ring in the first year of law school. 

Since Nines and Ada were the newbies in the bunch, it was their turn to talk about themselves a bit. It was something neither of them really enjoyed, so even though they’d spent the larger part of the week together, their three companions were curious to learn more about them. Nines let Ada do most of the talking. 

“So hell, what’s with the name?” Gavin asked Nines when Ada had wrapped up the short version of their backstory as the Kamski twins.

“It’s a nickname, of course,” Nines sighed. “My real name is Richard, after our father’s father. Ada and I both despised the man up till the day he died, and we went through various phases of Ada giving me different names.”

“When we were little I used to call him Rich, but it never really worked,” Ada said. “Nines got all the tall genes that I didn’t so he was quite lanky for a while, and really clumsy. He used to trip and fall a lot but he was always fine, like he had nine lives or something. That’s why I started calling him Nines.”

“I basically showed up the first day of high school, told everyone that was my name, and now I hardly even react to the name Richard anymore,” Nines said. “Only our father even uses it now.”

“Nine lives huh,” Gavin said. “Might need to borrow some of that luck at some point then.”

It didn’t take long for things to escalate. After two rounds of regular beers and wines, Tina showed up with a tray of shots. The alcohol tolerance varied at the table, from low with Tina and Gavin, to highest with Ada. Tina was an ‘let’s do something fun!’ happy drunk. North was fairly composed for a while, but gradually turned weirdly philosophical as time went on. Ada still seemed perfectly sober at least the first half of the night, but Nines knew there was a tipping point. 

Gavin turned out to be a flirty drunk. Because of course he would. It wasn’t aimed specifically at Nines either, he was flirting with everyone, including Tina. He was sitting next to Nines though, and Nines spent quite some time trying to figure out whether Gavin’s knee was touching his on purpose or accidentally. Which was probably why he appeared a bit zoned out. It was also probably why he wasn’t keeping track of how much he was drinking very well, so when he eventually got up to go to the bathroom, it suddenly really hit. 

Nines was drunk. He hadn't been drunk in a while. Not since Christmas Eve and he and Ada had broken into their father's wine cellar out of spite because he'd bailed on them. He really didn't make a habit out of getting drunk, but he definitely was now. Either that or the floor of the bar had become wobbly somewhere between shot three and four of tequila. The coloured fairy lights above the bar had started dancing around as well. It was pretty.

In his defense, it was past midnight and his friends weren't doing much better. Even Ada was starting to lose composure. She'd just slammed down her fifth tequila and she was leaning heavily on the table while explaining to North in detail the case of R v Dudley and Stephens. For the second time that night. At least North didn't seem to mind. She looked like she'd never been this interested in anything in her entire life as she was in Ada's story. Or Ada.

Tina had already forced most of them to dance with her that night. Gavin had been her favourite victim so far, and Nines watched, grinning, as they now danced along sloppily to Las Ketchup. Nines suspected neither of them to be bad dancers to begin with, but the alcohol wasn't doing them much good.

"Ah, we're at that stage already?"

Nines looked up as a gorgeous brunette joined him at the table.

"I'm Valerie," she said. "Tina's girlfriend."

"Oh-hi," Nines replied. "I'm Nines. That's my sister Ada. She's also drunk."

Valerie laughed. "I can see that."

The music changed and Valerie shot down her double whiskey. Nines tried not to look impressed but suspected he failed.

"Right, I think I should save Gavin," Valerie said and she swayed onto the dance floor. As soon as Tina noticed her, she flew into her arms and Gavin was left behind.

Gavin walked back over to their table, relatively steadily and looked at Nines for a second, smiling. "I'ma go smoke."

"I'll come along," Nines said, who suddenly felt too hot inside the cramped bar. "I could use some fresh air."

He followed Gavin through the crowd out of the back door into the alley behind the bar that was occupied by a couple of other people smoking. It was a nice night out, quite warm for September, but cool enough that Nines felt better immediately stepping outside. He watched as Gavin put a cigarette between his chapped lips and lit it.

"Want one?" Gavin asked, holding the pack out to Nines.

Nines shook his head. "I don't smoke."

"S'cool," Gavin said, stuffing the packet away. "Hard habit to quit. That and caffeine."

"I couldn't go a day without coffee at this point," Nines said.

Gavin hummed in agreement. "So first week huh. How're you liking it so far? Besides the obviously amazing people you're hanging with tonight of course."

"Of course," Nines said and he smiled. "I like it. It's a lot of work but we all knew that going in. And it's nice meeting new people. Ada and I lived at home with our dad as undergrads so this has been a nice change."

"You don't live on campus though right?"

Nines shook his head. "We have an apartment on Geddes Avenue."

Gavin whistled through his teeth. "Fucking hell. Of course you do. Just so ya know, we're all crashing at your place tonight. And probably every other night."

"Sure," Nines said, trying to sound nonchalant. "We got enough space."

"Yeah I bet," Gavin said. "Probably a good coffee maker too."

"Ada likes making latte art."

Gavin chuckled at that. "What about you, what do you like? Ya know, besides law school shit."

"I uh," Nines hesitated. _Your face_ , had been the first thing that came to mind, which definitely wasn't an appropriate answer. "I have a bike. A motorbike. I like touring around with it. Clears my head."

Gavin didn't reply but looked at him curiously.

"Other than that, I don't know," Nines continued. "Normal stuff, I guess. Travelling. Reading. Netflix. What about you?"

"Me? I like many things," Gavin said, smiling. He paused a moment before continuing. "Lemme see. I have a cat. Illegally, mind you, they're not allowed on campus so don't tell anyone. I like classic movies, I like swimming."

Gavin threw his cigarette bud on the ground and stepped on it. Nines looked at it a bit disappointed. He didn't want to go back inside yet.

He was about to suggest Gavin light another one when Gavin apparently stumbled over his own feet, and Nines instinctively caught him by the forearms.

"You okay?" Nines asked, looking down at the top of Gavin's head. He usually tried his best to keep his curls in check, but tonight the humidity had won out and Nines suddenly wondered what it would feel like to run his hands through those curls. Thankfully Gavin looked up before the thought could take more shape. Or not so thankfully, because now Gavin was looking up at him, grinning and with sparks in his eyes.

"Guess I'm a bit drunk after all," he said.

Nines snorted. "I'd never have guessed. I'm sure you dance to the Ketchup Song just as well sober."

"Oh you bet," Gavin said. "So, um, I'm good now. You can let go."

Nines felt his cheeks redden. "Oh. Right. Sorry." He let go of Gavin's arms, but Gavin didn't step away. He was still just grinning up at Nines.

"Fuck it," Gavin said after a second of silence, and he reached up to Nines' face.

Nines instinctively leaned into the touch. He barely registered Gavin standing on his toes, and using both his hands to pull Nines to him.

Nines definitely did register the kiss itself though. Gavin's lips were chapped but surprisingly soft. His stubble was a bit itchy against Nines' skin, but he really didn't mind. Acting on his earlier thought, Nines brought his hand up to the back of Gavin's neck and slid his fingers up through his curls. His free arm snaked around Gavin's waist, pulling him closer. Their bodies crashed together sloppily, and the kiss was kind of a mess, but it was amazing. Gavin smelled like leather, aftershave and still like coffee somehow this late in the day. He was warm and fit perfectly in Nines’ arms. Even the mixed taste of beer, tequila and smoke on his lips and tongue was strangely nice. 

Whether it was the kiss or the alcohol, Nines was starting to feel a bit dizzy after a while. He reluctantly pulled away from Gavin. The alley behind him was spinning a bit.

"We should head back inside," Nines said, hyper aware of Gavin's hands that still lay on his shoulders.

"Yeah, probably," Gavin agreed. There was that damn grin again. And just like that, Gavin stepped away from him and walked back into the bar. It took Nines a few seconds to regain his composure.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd really kissed someone. Hell, he was sure he'd never been kissed like that.

Nines ran a hand through his hair and straightened his cuffs before walking back inside.

* * *

Morning came with a pounding headache. Nines woke up disoriented, recognizing the smell of his own room, but unsure how he's even gotten there. He blinked a couple times and groaned at the bright light filtering in through the blinds. He could hear an abnormal amount of noise in the kitchen. Ada was usually quieter than this.

There was a loud crashing sound, followed by a louder "fuck!". Gavin's voice was unmistakable, and so was the choir of Ada, Tina and North's laughter following it. So they'd all crashed at their place. Nines liked that, although he couldn't really recall even going home. Now that he thought about it the whole night was fuzzy. He was definitely missing a couple of hours.

It took another couple minutes and all his willpower to sit up in bed. The headache was brutal, but he surprisingly wasn't nauseous. Not yet anyway.

He got out of bed, pulled on his checked pajama pants and grabbed an old white hoodie from his closet.

"Could you be less loud?" Nines asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh look who's alive!" Ada said. She was at the stove, making what looked like scrambled eggs and bacon. "When I walked into your room an hour ago I was pretty sure you'd passed away."

"I'm fine," Nines said. "Have we got any aspirin?"

"Left, top cabinet," Ada replied.

"Fine, he says," Gavin commented. "How bad's the headache, Nines?"

"Shut up," Nines retorted weakly as he filled a glass with water.

They all laughed at him. Nines swallowed two aspirin and chugged the rest of the water down, before making himself a coffee. Then he walked out onto the balcony for some fresh air and relative quiet.

Gavin followed him out and lit a cigarette. They stood in silence for a while, leaning over the balustrade.

"So about last night-" Gavin started.

"God, don't remind me," Nines cut in. "What I remember is all terrible. I can't believe I made such a fool out of myself."

"You weren't that bad," Gavin said. "Tina was way more drunk."

"I just want to forget any of it happened," Nines said, and he took a sip of coffee. "I'm too embarrassed."

"Right," Gavin said after a second. "Well then. I hereby forget all the shit you did last night."

Nines snorted. "Thanks, Gavin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghehehehehehe 
> 
> Hehe
> 
> He
> 
> ANYWAY, see you for the next one babes
> 
> -X


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gavin has some insecurities

**_Gavin_ **

It was eight in the morning when they all gathered at their usual table in the back of Common Grounds, the on campus coffee shop. Usually, Gavin would still be half asleep at this time of day, though the habit of getting coffee together before class each morning had been helping him to stay awake more easily during their early classes. It was hard to believe they’d only known each other for a month - besides Tina, of course - looking at how well they all got along at this point. Nines, Ada and North certainly had gotten used to Gavin’s usual morning moods, and they didn’t even bat an eye when he snapped at someone anymore. 

This morning, however, Gavin felt wide awake, and that while he’d only slept for probably two hours. Today was the day professor Fowler was announcing who had been selected for the internship. Gavin, though naturally competitive, hadn’t expected how much he really wanted to get it. And how nervous he was that he wouldn’t. Their class had proven to be filled with academic wonders, and the nagging feeling that he wasn’t good enough had been nagging in the back of his head ever since he’d handed in his essay. 

“I swear time has never gone this slowly,” Ada complained, stirring her latte. “I just need to know so I can mentally prepare for when I go home this weekend.”

“Dad’s going to be happy to see you regardless,” Nines reassured her. 

“Aren’t you going home as well, Nines?” Tina asked. 

Nines shrugged. “No, the invitation only went out to Ada. Not that I’d want to go anyway.”

“Kinda sucks, though,” Gavin said, glancing at Nines from the corner of his eye. “He could at least invite you, knowing you probably wouldn’t come anyway.”

“I don’t wanna cause drama,” Nines said, and he took a sip from his coffee. “I mean, Ada’s actually got a good relationship with our father, and I wouldn’t want to ruin that.”

“He’ll come around eventually,” Ada said, patting her brother’s hand. 

Nines smiled at her. There was a particular fondness in his eyes reserved for her particularly. In the short while they’d known each other, Gavin had noticed how much the two cared about each other. He was glad for it, too. They had no mother, and their father sounded like a major asshole to Gavin, so he was glad Nines at least had someone in his family he could rely on. 

Gavin tried not to think about Nines too much in general, though. Not beyond anything normal anyway. There were moments, especially when he was tired, that his mind would drift and involuntarily reply that night at Lucky Lucy’s, and the cursed morning that had followed.  _ I just want to forget any of it happened.  _ The words haunted Gavin’s dreams. 

This morning, thankfully, Gavin had more pressing matters at hand, and it was easier to be around Nines. 

“We should all do something fun too this weekend,” Gavin proposed. “Whatever happens today at least this weekend will be a bit less stressful than the last two. Hopefully.”

“I heard that guy Markus’ band is playing at The Ark, we could check that,” Tina suggested. 

“Oh right, Jericho,” North agreed. “They’re pretty decent. I saw them last year when I visited here.”

“Guys it’s a quarter past,” Ada noted, shoving her Torts textbook into her bag. 

Gavin jumped up from his seat and grabbed his jacket, nearly knocking his cup from the table in the process. Nines caught it. 

“Nice catch,” Gavin said, grabbing the cup from him. A quizzical look passed over Nines’ face, and Gavin suddenly vividly remembered Nines catching him when he’d tripped in the alley. Whatever that look was in Nines eyes, it disappeared within a second and he smiled.

“Gotta watch that coffee, Gavin,” Nines said. “We wouldn’t want you running low on caffeine. You’re already barely tolerable  _ with  _ it, let alone without.”

Gavin put up his middle finger at him, but grinned. “Let’s go, asshole.”

They walked across campus relatively quietly. Usually they were quite a loud bunch, but it seemed everyone was nervous. Even Nines, who’d said again and again he didn’t really care about the internship in the first place, was fidgeting with the band of his shoulder bag. 

“It’s gonna be fine,” Gavin said to him as they scooted into their seats. “You and Ada definitely got it anyway. Fucking prodigies.”

“I just hope Ada got it,” Nines said back softly. “She wouldn’t say it, but she’d feel terrible if she didn’t.”

Gavin patted his shoulder. “We’ll all know in an hour tops.”

As Gavin predicted, professor Fowler didn’t want to discuss the essay results until the end of his lecture, because the results might be ‘too distracting’ if they got them at the start. Which was utter bullshit, of course, since the essay results were all that were on everyone’s minds and no one was paying attention very well. The people who got cold called - which everyone was usually well prepared for - stammered through their answers, including Tina, who’d always done her readings meticulously and always knew the answer to everything. 

When the end of class finally rolled around, the professor took the package of graded essays from his briefcase and looked around the class of nervous students. “I was glad to see that you all recognized the importance of this assignment, even if it’s just the start of the semester. That being said, there were some highs and lows that stood out. I’ll not get into the lows right now, but I will get into the highs. As you all know, I’m taking on five of you to intern at my practice for the coming semester. I do this every year, because I find that first years add a unique perspective to my law practice that I find invaluable.”

Gavin was chewing on the inside cheek, hands wrapped tightly around each other, screaming at Fowler inside his head to just  _ tell them _ . On the other hand he wanted nothing more than to run from the classroom and smoke a pack of cigarettes in one go. 

“The first two choices were fairly obvious,” professor Fowler continued. “Usually with twins there’s one that stands out, but in this case it seems that the talent was split evenly. Ada, Nines, well done.” 

Gavin could hear Ada’s sigh of relief even with Nines sitting between them. Gavin patted Nines’ shoulder, and Nines smiled at him reassuringly. 

“Having someone who truly values theoretical knowledge is always a good thing, but it’s even better when that theory is used creatively to solve new problems. Tina, very ingenious. And then there’s those who get through by sheer guts. That won’t back down from any challenge. North, welcome to the team.” 

Gavin’s hands were shaking. Only one spot left. There was no way he was going to get it. Not when he knew how well all his friends had done. He wasn’t going to get the internship, and on top of that he was going to see all of his friends a lot less because they all  _ did. _

“Last but not least,” Fowler said. “A bit of a wild card. A  _ very  _ creative submission, though I still have to check up some more obscure text to check the legality of some of your suggestions, Gavin. Nevertheless, I was impressed.” 

Gavin’s mouth fell open. “Really?” 

Professor Fowler nodded. “Just make sure you stay on the right side of legal when working for  _ my  _ practice, Reed.” His voice was serious as ever, but Gavin could’ve sworn he saw a flash of a smile cross over the stoic man’s face. “That’s it for today, but you five stick around for a moment.” 

The rest of the students left the room, giving them looks ranging from supportive to outright pissed off, but Gavin didn’t care. Things hadn’t felt this right since - that thing he wasn’t supposed to think about. They gathered their things into their book backs and walked down to Fowler’s desk. 

“All right,” he said. “Listen, because this is important. As it stands right now, you all earned your spots. That doesn’t mean it can’t be taken away. My practice has a reputation to uphold, and it’s partly your responsibility to uphold it. I know your classes end at two every day, I expect you at my office every weekday at three, starting next Monday. And I expect you to look representable, since I’ll be interviewing a new client.” 

The last remark was paired with a pointed look at North and Gavin. Gavin suddenly felt very self conscious in his faded green T-shirt and his token leather jacket. 

“All that being said,” Fowler concluded. “Well done, all of you. I was genuinely impressed.” 

A soft ‘thanks, professor’ echoed between the five of them before they all hastily left the classroom. They made sure they were well outside of the building before actually showing their relief and excitement. 

“I fucking can’t believe it!” Gavin yelled, throwing his book bag on the grass. “Holy shit!” 

Tina hugged him tightly. “You deserved this, okay, Gav. You worked  _ so  _ hard.”

“You too, T,” Gavin replied, patting her back. “I knew you’d get it.” 

“We’ve got an hour before Property I,” Nines said. “Who wants coffee and cheesecake? My treat.” 

As they made their way back to Common Grounds, Gavin found himself walking next to Nines while the girls discussed at length the idea of ‘professional clothing’ and whether or not it was bullshit. 

“So are you actually happy you got it?” Gavin asked. 

Nines nodded, looking ahead at his sister. “Yes, I am.”

Gavin frowned. “Are you - doing this for her?” 

“Not entirely,” Nines said. “I’m happy I got the internship  _ for me  _ as well. But I am also relieved I’ll be able to keep an eye on her. She’s too ambitious for her own good. I like to make sure she remembers to take care of herself.” 

“If you’re doing that for her, who takes care of you?” Gavin asked. The question came out before he’d really considered it, and as soon as he’d said it, he wondered whether it sounded too intrusive. Or too concerned. Or like he cared a little too much. 

Nines looked at him surprised, but he smiled. “She does, I guess. We’ve always looked out for each other. Ever since our mother left anyway.”

“Where is she now?” Gavin asked. 

“God knows,” Nines said. “She upped and left when we were six, didn’t even leave a note. I suspect she left the country, honestly. _ ” _

“That’s shit,” Gavin said. He’d been raised by a single parent as well, but at least _she’d_ been a good parent. The idea that Nines had only had his asshole dad most of his life didn’t sit right with him. 

Nines shrugged. “I hardly remember her. And I don’t blame her for leaving our father.”

“She left you guys, too, though,” Gavin said. “That’s fucked up.” 

“We did okay without her,” Nines said, smiling again. “All things considered I think we turned out fine so far.” 

“Yeah, you’re all right, I guess,” Gavin said, smirking. “All things considered.”

Nines snorted. “Sometimes I think it would actually kill you to say something truly positive.”

“Probably,” Gavin agreed. “I think it’s safer not to try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to god this story has the longest set up I've ever written. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it regardless. 
> 
> Hope to see you for the next chapter!
> 
> -X


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ada goes home to see her dad, but it's not all she'd expected it would be

**_Ada_ **

Grosse Point was one of Detroit’s wealthier suburbs. The Kamski mansion was the last house on Park Lane, right on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Ada loved the place. Grosse Point had been her entire world for the first half of her life. She knew it like the back of her hand. She and Nines had spent days upon days by the lakeside, or biking through the neighborhood, or watching the yachts coming and going from the Grosse Point Club private harbor. Their father had been a member of the club back in the day when their mother had still been around - she’d been the socialite, he not so much - and at first Nines and Ada’s sneaking onto the premises without their parents had been regarded as charming child play. After their father had left the club, they’d been shooed off the grounds a few times, the last time involving a near run in with Mr McNamara’s tennis racket. 

They’d lived in that same house on Park Lane for twenty three years, and even though they’d only now been living in Ann Arbor for a month, Ada felt like she’d been away for ages. A wave of relief washed over her when she pulled her car into the driveway. It looked slightly different now they didn’t live here anymore. Most notably, Nines’ Victory motorcycle was missing from the driveway, but there were other, smaller changes. Their dad didn’t like too many strange people in their home, so by lack of a gardener, this time of year Ada would usually have spent quite some time outside, sweeping fallen leaves from the path. In her absence, it seemed no one had picked up the chore, and the dark stone driveway was almost half covered with orange and yellow leaves. She might take care of that this weekend, she thought, as she walked up to the front door. 

The door was quite ridiculously high tech, as many things in the house were. It was voice activated and instead of a key, required Ada’s fingerprint to get in. 

She walked in and kicked her shoes off by the door. She hung her coat on the coat rack and walked down the hall to her father’s office, where she suspected he’d be. The door was open and she could indeed hear rapid typing coming from the room when she got closer. She knocked on the doorframe before walking in. 

“Hey dad,” she said, smiling. 

Elijah Kamski did not have a kind face. Most people upon first meeting him thought he was either reserved or intimidating, and therefore expected arrogance. He rarely smiled, but his face did light up when Ada walked into the room.

“Ada, you’re earlier than I expected,” he said, and he got up. “How was the drive?”

“It was fine,” Ada said. “What were you doing? I hope I didn’t interrupt something important?”

“Not at all,” Elijah replied. “I’m glad you’re home, Ada. Tell me, how is law school treating you and your brother? Classes can't be too hard on you, I'm sure. Did you get the internship?” 

“We both did,” Ada answered, a rush of pride surging through her.

“Good, good,” Elijah said. “Come, let’s go have lunch. Tell me about this professor Fowler's law firm.”

* * *

They spent a good chunk of the day together, from lunch till dinner. They spent most of their time between meals in the garage, working on Elijah’s old 1957 Mercedes. Ada and Nines had both learned from a young age how to fix up cars. It was one of their father’s few hobbies and the only thing that had really connected the three of them. Or at least it had been before Nines had developed a preference for bikes over cars, which their father had had a problem with. It hadn’t been surprising since he’d disapproved of pretty much everything Nines did from when they went to high school, even if Ada did the same. 

Ada had had a hard time with their father’s favouritism for a while. She hadn’t understood how her father could love her, but not Nines. In Ada’s eyes, Nines was clearly the more loveable one. He was more sociable, kinder, and though she’d never admit it to anyone, probably smarter than her as well. Maybe it was because Nines was more like their mother, and Ada was more like their father. 

She’d never figured it out. Nines had accepted it before she had been, but eventually she’d had to let it go. It didn’t look like it would ever change, and Nines insisted that she did maintain a good relationship with their father, because it made her happy. 

They didn't talk all that much while they worked on the car. Her father asked a few questions about MLaw here and there, but he mostly seemed interested to know how well they were doing in comparison to the other students, and almost immediately zoned out when Ada started telling him about the friends they'd made. After dinner, he excused himself. He had a meeting downtown he hadn’t been able to get out of, and Ada didn’t complain. She didn’t mind being alone in the mansion; it felt more like home than the apartment in Ann Arbor did anyway. 

She did some reading, summarized the chapters, and read through her notes for Torts while sitting by the fireplace in the living room. She’d made herself a hot chocolate and had wrapped herself in a blanket. Outside it was raining lightly and the wind was rustling through the large trees around the house. It was a pretty much a perfect fall evening, although it was strange that Nines wasn’t there to do the reading with her. It was also strange to know that he was currently out with their friends and she wasn’t there. She wasn’t jealous, she was just used to doing pretty much everything together. 

Around ten the doorbell rang a couple of times in a row. Confused, Ada looked up. She threw her book on the coffee table and discarded the blanket on the couch before walking over to the front door. She glanced at the little screen next to the door that displayed the camera view of the front porch, but saw no one. 

“Door open,” Ada said hesitantly. 

There was a soft clicking noise as the door unlocked and Ada opened it. There was no one there. She glanced down the path to the driveway, but she still didn’t see anyone. 

“Hello?” She asked, shivering in the chilly night air. 

She heard nothing but the sound of the rain and the wind in response and shrugged. She glanced around once again and nearly jumped out of her skin when an owl screeched in the distance. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly closed and locked the door again. 

She walked back into the living room, wrapping herself back into her blanket and suddenly felt a lot more alone in the big house. She considered calling Nines, but she didn’t want to interrupt his time with their friends. Her father would probably be home soon anyway. And the mansion was practically a bunker. It was fine. She was fine. There was nothing to be worried about. She picked up her copy of The Bluebook again and continued reading. 

Her father didn’t return home till well past midnight. Ada woke up from an uneasy sleep when he walked through the front door. She listened to him rummaging around downstairs for a while. She wondered what kind of important work meeting went on so late. She was about to get up and go downstairs since she wasn’t that sleepy anyway, when she heard him walk into his office and slam the door closed. He usually worked with his office door open, so when he shut it, Ada and Nines had always known he really didn’t want to be bothered. Ada sighed and rolled onto her other side. 

Ada: Nines, you still awake?

Nines: yes, we’re still at The Ark. How’s things at the mansion?

Ada: as you’d expect. Dad and I worked on the car today and then he had a meeting. He only just got home. 

Nines: that’s late.

Ada: yes, I thought so. 

Nines: maybe it was a Chloe meeting~

Ada: ugh, gross, why would you remind me that’s still a thing.

Nines: sorry. 

Ada: so how’s the night out?

Nines: It’s good. I think North is a little sad you’re not here though.

Ada: Nines, don’t even.

Nines: No, seriously, she’s all mopey. 

Ada: Nines, shut up, or I’ll ask about Gavin. 

Nines: fair enough

Ada: I’m going to attempt to sleep again. Have a good one, Nines. See you tomorrow.

Nines: night, Ada. See you tomorrow. 

* * *

“You were home late last night,” Ada said, sipping her morning smoothie while her dad read the paper. “Heavy meeting?”

Elijah looked up. He did look awfully tired, Ada thought. “Yes, quite.”

“What was it about?” Ada asked. 

“Integrity within the company,” he answered curtly. “We’ve been having some trouble with secrecy lately. But it’s all been solved now, thoroughly.”

Ada nodded. “I think I’m going to head back to Ann Arbor a bit early today. I want to go through the readings for this week with Nines. We’re probably going to be having a lot less time for them between classes and the internship now, so I want to get ahead a bit.” 

“Sure.” Her father’s attention was already back on the paper. He was never usually this absent when she was talking. It was probably the lack of sleep. 

Ada felt restless during the drive back to Ann Arbor. She kept thinking about that ghostly doorbell moment the night before - she was starting to wonder whether she’d imagined hearing the noise altogether, but she was pretty sure still it had been real. Her father’s distant behaviour during the morning also didn’t sit right with her. As stressed as his work sometimes got him, he usually didn’t let it affect the way he treated her. 

She’d expected yesterday that she’d have a hard time leaving Grosse Point again today, but she actually felt a weird rush of relief when she turned onto Geddes Avenue and pulled the car up next to their building. Maybe this _was_ her home now after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another little bit of a short one, but hey, some Ada backstory for y'all I guess. 
> 
> I'm going to be really busy next week so it might be a while before I upload the next one, but I hope to see you there!
> 
> -X


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nines experiences a new feeling. What's that called? Jealousy?

**_Nines_ **

“All right, everyone, welcome to Fowler Criminal Defense,” professor Fowler started when they all sat down in the front room of his house. It doubled as a living room and the space where he first met and interviewed potential clients. “I appreciate you all being here on time. In half an hour I have a potential new client coming in. Her name is Eleanor Vanderberg and she is currently out on bail after being charged with the murder of her husband. You may have seen her case on the news. As I perform the interview, I would like you all to sit back and take notes, and _not interfere_ unless asked. Mrs Vanderberg has been notified of your presence, but I would like there to be as little disturbance as possible so she might feel the most at ease.”

Nines was taking notes on his tablet, adding a few bits and pieces of information he had indeed gathered from the news report on the case earlier this week. Next to him, Gavin was scribbling away in his notebook. Nines glanced to the side and suppressed a smile at the barely legible scribbles. He’d struggled to keep a straight face when Gavin had showed up for their morning lecture in a crisp, _actually ironed,_ blue dress shirt. Gavin, clearly uncomfortable out of his usual, casual getup, had told him to shut his ‘goddamn fucking mouth’, and Nines had remained silence. After that it had gone downhill, because even if Gavin’s face showed clear annoyance, he looked _good_ in that shirt. So good that Nines had struggled to keep his eyes on his notes and his mind focussed on the lecture. 

Eleanor Vanderberg thankfully proved a worthy distraction. She was barely five years older than the five of them, with long, perfectly curled blond hair, carefully done makeup that accentuated her sharp features, and a dress that might genuinely rival the price of his Victory Octane. She was utterly distressed. 

“I just can’t believe it,” she kept repeating, as professor Fowler tried to get her to share the details of the day of the murder.

After an hour of mostly useless information, Eleanor Vanderberg left again. 

“All right you five,” professor Fowler said. “What have you got?”

“My money’s on the ex wife,” Ada said. “The way David Vanderberg was murdered aligns more with revenge than just someone trying to get away with a load of money, which counters Eleanor’s supposed motive, even if they found her fingerprints on the knife. She _was_ a doctor, and if what she says is true about trying to help him after she found him that would easily have disrupted any earlier DNA evidence.”

“Right, that’s the first one, well done, Ada,” professor Fowler praised. 

“I’d check out the Eleanor’s stepdaughter,” Gavin said, looking at his phone. “She apparently goes to a bar not far from campus pretty often. In fact she just checked in there.”

Nines frowned. “How do you even-”

“Social media,” Gavin interrupted. “People should really be more careful putting their everything out there for the world to find.”

“That’s very good,” Fowler said. “We know very little about her, seeing her in a casual setting might make her more approachable. _However_ , you cannot under any circumstance tell her you work for me. She’s a witness in this case and we’re not allowed to have contact with her off the record. You have to be careful.”

Gavin looked up. “Me?” 

Professor Fowler nodded. “Out of the five of you, you’re the one with the least memorable looks. No offense. But try to get her to open up to you a bit. Be charming - I’m sure you know how somewhere in that sarcastic brain of yours.”

North snorted, but Tina grinned. 

“He can manage being charming,” Tina said. “I promise.”

“Good,” Fowler said. “Go tonight, see if she’s there. Nines, Tina, I want you to go with him but keep your distance.” 

“What about us?” Ada asked. 

“Tonight you and North are helping me and my assistant, Chris, look through the evidence. Tomorrow you get to come with me for a visit with Ms Cheryl Masset. I hear she doesn’t talk to men since her divorce.” 

* * *

Gavin, Tina and Nines went on their way to The Hourglass, but stopped by Gavin’s dorm first so he at least could change back into his normal clothes. Tina rummaged around Gavin’s closet to find something “less conspicuous” to wear for Nines, and Nines leaned awkwardly against the doorframe as Gavin changed out of his dress shirt. He had to admit Gavin had a nice physique. He clearly tried to stay in shape. However, what caught Nines’ eye more was the pattern of scars and freckles on his back. He wondered what the scars were from. Then he caught Tina looking at him looking at Gavin. He felt his cheeks heat up and looked away, heart racing. 

Tina turned out to be the greatest person and didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she made a point of giving him an out of the awkward silence. 

“Hey, see if this fits,” she said, handing Nines a black V-neck. 

Nines busied himself with unbuttoning his shirt and tried to focus his mind back on their task. What they were about to do - or at least watch Gavin do - was less than legal, and he shouldn’t approve, but part of him was excited. Something about Eleanor had made him believe her when she said she hadn’t done it. Maybe it was because she’d seemed generally distressed. Maybe it was because she’d reminded him of what he could remember of his mother. Regardless, if there was a chance they could prove her innocence, he sure wanted to try. 

“It’s a bit short,” Tina commented when Nines had the shirt on. “But I think it’s fine. Now put your own shirt back over top but don’t button it. Right. Perfectly casual and inconspicuous.” 

“How is he inconspicuous at all?” Gavin asked, pulling a face at Nines. “He’s like 6’4.”

“6’1, actually,” Nines corrected him. “It’s not _that_ tall.”

* * *

They arrived at The Hourglass just after eight. It was a bit fancier than Lucky Lucy’s, their prefered hangout. They made a beeline for a booth in the back where they’d have a decent view of the place but not be too easily noticed by the other patrons. 

They ordered a round of drinks that Nines paid for before the other two could protest. They spotted Amelia Masset by the bar sitting alone just when their drinks were served. Gavin moved to get up, but Nines placed a hand on his arm to stop him. 

“Wait,” Nines said. “What’s your plan?” 

Gavin grinned at him. “You heard Fowler, I’m gonna be _charming._ ”

Nines and Tina watched as he walked over and took a seat next to Amelia. Nines strained his neck to get a better view of the pair. He’d seen Gavin drunk often enough now that he knew that he was a very capable flirt. However, seeing him do it on purpose was different. 

Amelia Masset was a stunning girl, with long dark hair cascading down her bare back, light eyes, and a cute button nose and some freckles smattered over her cheeks that made her look more innocent than she probably was. 

Gavin sat down next to her, a pretend awkward smile on his face, running a hand through his hair, and telling her something that made her smile right back. He convinced her to let him buy her a drink within a minute. Gavin’s demeanour quickly changed from awkward to wicked charm and they were chatting and laughing, their heads close together in no time. 

Nines felt a bit nauseous. He turned away and took a sip from his untouched beer. 

“Don’t worry, it’s all fake,” Tina said. 

“What?” Nines asked, feeling himself starting to blush yet again. 

“That whole act? I’ve seen him pull it a lot of times,” she explained. “He can be hella charming when he wants to, and he knows how to use that to get what he wants. He never really _cares_ though.” 

Nines took another sip and looked back. Gavin was now holding Amelia’s hand on the bar, playing with her fingers, seemingly asking her about the different rings she was wearing. 

“Does he ever?” Nines asked, turning back to Tina. “Care, I mean.”

Tina smiled. “Oh yes. So much. He’s a hard one to crack, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and I know he’d do anything for me.” 

Nines had already had a growing fondness of Tina, but hearing her talk about Gavin now really proved to him how good she really was. He was glad Gavin had someone like her in his life. 

They spent the rest of the evening chatting about their classes, casually discussing their current assignment for torts, and talking about a bunch of other entirely unrelated things, like their favourite bands and places they’d like to visit someday. Occasionally they checked in on Gavin, who seemed to be doing absolutely fine. The nagging, sickly feeling in Nines’ stomach stuck around the entire evening, even after Tina had assured him Gavin was just playing a part, but at least talking to Tina was fun enough to distract him from it most of the time. 

Around eleven, Tina suddenly perked up and nodded in Gavin’s direction. Nines turned around in time to see Gavin and Amelia get up from their bar stools - Amelia wobbling on her heels, but Gavin surprisingly solid. They watched as Gavin handed her his phone to enter her number, before handing it back. Then Gavin hooked an arm around her waist and they started for the door. 

Nines stood up as well, but Tina shook her head. 

They watched the two through the window on the pavement where Gavin hailed a cab. Nines suddenly panicked, wondering whether Gavin was going to get in as well, but Gavin opened the door for Amelia, who was still leaning on him heavily. She said something to him and pulled a face, which Gavin laughed at, still with that charming spark in his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. 

Something seemed to snap in Nines’ chest. Tina patted his shoulder. 

“Please don’t tell him,” Nines said, barely managing more than a whisper.

“I’d never,” Tina assured him. “It’s not mine to tell.”

Gavin sent the cab on its way and stood on the pavement for a moment as it drove off. When it turned the corner his entire demeanour changed again. His shoulders drew up and he fidgeted around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out his pack of cigarettes, lighting one and closing his eyes for a moment. 

Nines and Tina both got up now, closed their tab at the bar and joined Gavin outside. 

“So?” Tina asked, when Gavin didn’t speak immediately. 

“I - I think I just spent an evening talking to a murderer?” He said after a moment, before hastily adding, “Not that she said anything explicit, of course she fucking didn’t. But that girl is… all kinds of twisted. I don’t really know how to explain it. She doesn’t give a fuck about the fact that her father’s dead though, that’s for sure. I believe ‘good riddance’ were here exact words.”

“Okay, I didn’t expect that,” Nines admitted. “Do you guys want to come over to Geddes for a nightcap? It’d be more comfortable than standing around in the rain and it’ll give you some time to process.” 

“That’d be great,” Tina agreed and Gavin nodded. 

* * *

They found Ada and North at the apartment as well, still up and working, sifting through their notes on the evidence and preparing for their meeting with Mrs Masset the next day. They looked very peaceful, sitting at the dinner table with piles of papers stacked around them, Ada nursing a glass of red wine and North with a pot of tea to herself. The peace immediately vanished when they all barged into the place though, pushing their work aside and jumping on the questioning. 

Nines busied himself getting tea and coffee for Tina, Gavin and himself as Gavin launched into another recap of the evening. He watched as Gavin talked. He seemed genuinely thrown by the encounter with Amelia, although he didn’t have much more to offer than some vague mentions and just a _bad feeling_ in his gut. 

After that the theories started rolling out. The problem with putting Amelia down as a suspect was that she had an alibi that had been corroborated by her yoga teacher. Of course the teacher could’ve been bought off one way or another, but that would be yet another thing to prove. 

One by one everyone started disappearing to bed, realizing they had a lecture at 8:30 as well. Ada was the first to clock out, disappearing into her room, though not before offering the couch in her room specifically to North. 

North took her up on the offer about half an hour later, and Tina fell asleep on the couch with an evidence file still open on her lap, leaving Gavin and Nines alone. 

Nines followed Gavin out onto the balcony, sipping what had to be his fifth cup of tea. The both leaned over the railing, looking out over the quiet neighborhood in silence for a moment. It was five in the morning, and it was probably as quiet as it ever got. The rain had stopped, and the sky had cleared, showing what few stars the city lights would allow to be seen. 

Nines suddenly remembered standing on that balcony a month earlier, when he’d had the hangover from hell, and Gavin had jokingly promised he’d forget whatever stupid things Nines had done the night before that. 

“What you did tonight was pretty cool,” Nines said after a while.

Gavin snorted. “I talked to a girl, it wasn’t that big a deal.”

“A girl who might be a murderer,” Nines said. “Plus, you talked to a witness off the record and you didn’t bat an eye.”

“Not like I’ve never done anything ‘off the record’ before,” Gavin said, shrugging. 

Nines took another sip of his tea.

“Aren’t you gonna ask?” 

“No,” Nines said. “You can tell me if you want to but I’m not going to ask.”

“That’s… cool. Thanks, Nines.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this up a bit faster than I thought, but writing on the train always works out well for me so here we are!
> 
> Hope you're all still having fun with this as well!
> 
> -X


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gavin finally feels useful, but maybe not at the time he really wants to be.

**_Gavin_ **

Gavin felt uncomfortable in his clothes. It was a daily occurance now but one he was still getting used to. Trying to get up earlier, trying to make sure he was clean shaven, trying to make sure his small amount of dress shirts was always properly ironed. The others had joked about it the first couple of days. Although it had been equally interesting to see Tina and North appear in business smart instead of their usual clothes, they seemed just as comfortable adopting their new personas as they would’ve been in their usual getup. Gavin didn’t have that level of comfort yet. Maybe it was because he wasn’t used to dressing to status, maybe it was because in the back of his head there was still this nagging voice that he was just pretending to be something he was not. Maybe it was even because it was still hard some days to find the motivation to make an effort at all. Maybe it was just because the crisp cotton made his skin itch. 

The Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan was located in downtown Detroit, trapped between two buildings of the Old Wayne County Jail. Gavin had been feeling iffy all morning since they’d arrived; he was a bit too familiar with this specific part of the city to be comfortable. He’d never been convicted but he’d known some people in his past who’d become at least semi-permanent residents of one of those buildings. He felt like he was being watched, judged and written off by everyone who passed him in the grey hallways. Liar, pretender, cheat. Criminal. 

It at least helped that Tina was there. Without saying anything she knew what was going through his head. She showed it through a pat on the shoulder, a hand on his back or a ruffle through his hair. She just  _ knew _ . She was all that was keeping the impending panic attack away, for now at least. 

It was their first case together with their team of five. They hadn’t done an awful lot, but professor Fowler had at least seemed pleased. He’d listened with interest to Gavin’s theory about Amelia, and had patiently relayed the information from his, Ada and North’s meeting with Mrs Masset, making sure they all took notes of everything and learned as much as they could from the case. What was bugging Gavin now was not knowing what Fowler’s strategy was going to be in the courtroom today. He’d told them all to watch closely and take note of everything he said, how he said it, and how people reacted to it. It was basically a lesson in rhetoric. 

Eleanor Vanderberg arrived at a punctual half past noon, looking pristine as ever, and seemingly a lot more composed than the last time Gavin had laid eyes on her. It seemed she was also playing a part. The thought was slightly comforting to Gavin, knowing they were all working to put on a performance in half an hour. 

“How’re you holding up?” Tina whispered, as they readied themselves to enter the courtroom. 

“Ya know,” Gavin replied softly. “Trying to keep it together.”

“You’re fine,” Tina reassured him. “This is where you’re supposed to be. This is your side of the courtroom.”

As soon as the bailiff announced the court was in session and judge Amanda Stern entered the room, a heavy silence filled the space. Judge Stern was well known by anyone practicing law in the Michigan area. She was known to be ruthless, terrifying, and control any room she entered. 

Professor Fowler had known the woman for a long time, and seemed hardly intimidated by her presence, but the prosecutor seemed very eager to get on her good side. 

The prosecutor was the first to make his opening statement, and Gavin found himself mostly unimpressed. The statement was bland and unsurprising, and relayed no information that anyone in the courtroom wasn’t already aware of. Then it was Fowler’s turn. 

As Fowler started talking, Gavin watched with growing surprise. Not only was Fowler relying heavily on the work the five of them had done on the case, it seemed he’d also decided to go with Gavin’s personal gut feeling about Amelia. 

“... therefore, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I hereby state that we are indeed currently in the presence of the person who murdered David Vanderberg, but it was not my client who committed the crime.” 

A wave of whispers went through the courtroom and Judge Stern called for order as Gavin felt his heart speed up. This was his theory. His brainwave. And professor Fowler had not only believed him, but followed up on the suspicion. He’d actually been useful. 

* * *

More than useful, as it turned out, as they left the courthouse in a buzz of camera people and interviewers, Mrs Vanderberg declared free of all charges, and Amelia Masset on her way across the street in custody. Her yoga instructor having admitted to being bought and eventually Amelia confessing herself after a ruthless interview on the witness stand had made it easy for the jury to come to a unanimous decision. Gavin felt like he was floating. Professor Fowler had patted his shoulder and whispered a “well done” into his ear at the end of the procedure, and it had made Gavin feel like for once in his life he’d done something right. 

It was still before six in the afternoon when the five of them arrived at the Kamski apartment, but they were all buzzing with excitement from their first trial and eager to celebrate their victory. They ordered pizza and popped open several expensive bottles of wine. 

Nines put a loose arm around Gavin momentarily and all the muscles in Gavin’s body tensed at the contact.

“You did amazing,” Nines said, smiling, blissfully unaware of the effect he had on Gavin. “You basically won the case for Fowler, well done Gav!” 

“Yeah, yeah, no big deal,” Gavin said, taking a big gulp from his glass. “Fowler is the one that won it, not me.” 

“Gavin Reed being modest, now that’s a sight to behold,” Tina said from across the room, grinning. She raised her glass. “To Gavin, the idiot who solved a crime through flirting.”

“Cheers!” 

Gavin felt his cheeks flush and took another sip. “Right,” he said after swallowing. “I’m going out for a smoke.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised to find Nines followed him out onto the balcony. It was a familiar space for them now. 

“You looked anxious today,” Nines said after a couple of minutes of blissful silence.

Gavin looked up at Nines. There was no judgement in his face. Only curiosity, and maybe slight concern. “I was. I - I hadn’t been to that part of the city for a while, but it’s not… unfamiliar to me.”

“I figured,” Nines said. 

Gavin turned his gaze back to the view of the neighborhood. 

“Not that I’m judging that,” Nines quickly added. “I just - you told me a while ago you’ve done more things that weren’t necessarily ‘on the record’. I figured they may not be pleasant memories, and I saw how tense you were today, so I figured that maybe-”

“I was never convicted of anything,” Gavin interrupted him. “I was never - I’ve never been in lock up there, but some people I knew still are there. People I worked with. Bad people. They got caught and I didn’t. That’s all the difference between me and them.”

“No it’s not,” Nines said softly. 

“Hm?”

“That’s not the only difference,” Nines said. “Whatever you did in that part of your life, you turned away from it. You chose to do something better now. That makes you a good person, Gavin.”

The heat returned to Gavin’s cheeks. “I - I felt like an imposter in that building today. Right up to the point when Fowler revealed my theory I felt like I was going to be the one leaving in chains. And I guess sometimes I still feel like I deserve that.”

“You don’t,” Nines said.

Gavin half-smiled. “You don’t even know what I did.”

“No, but I’ve gotten to know you a fair bit,” Nines replied. 

For a moment, Gavin became fully aware of their proximity to each other, and he was almost tempted to reach out, grab hold of Nines’ hand that was resting on the railing. 

“Guys! The news is on!” North’s voice sounded from inside. 

Whatever  _ moment  _ Gavin had felt they’d been having on the balcony ended abruptly and they both went inside and sat down on the couch with the others. They were all chatting happily about what the news report on the case might be until Ada flipped to channel five and an icy silence fell through the room as they all recognized the face on the screen. 

Elijah Kamski appeared on screen, as he was being taken from his home, handcuffed, led by two police officers, and pushed into a police car. 

“Earlier today Elijah Kamski, CEO of Cyberlife was arrested as the prime suspect in the murder of his PA, Chloe Arties, who was found early evening yesterday close to his home in Grosse Point, Detroit.”

Gavin averted his eyes from the screen to look at Nines, who had frozen in his seat next to Gavin, staring at the screen with a look of utter shock on his face. 

“The Detroit Police Department has refused to give out many details about the state Chloe Arties’ body was found in, but have stated it to have been heavily mutilated, and have determined that the crime must have been committed around two weeks ago, two days before she’d first been reported missing by Elijah Kamski himself. Further information about the case has yet to be revealed.”

Ada turned off the TV and they all sat in shocked silence for a moment.

“Can you all please just go?” Ada asked after a moment. “Please?”

“Of course,” Tina said, immediately jumping to action. “Gav, North, come on, let’s go.”

Gavin got up from the couch, still looking at Nines, who appeared to be stuck in another universe for the moment. He found he wanted to stay. Wanted to comfort Nines during whatever the fuck this situation even was. That wasn’t something he could do, however. Not something Nines wanted from him anyway. Gavin tore his eyes from the now even paler visage of his friend and grabbed his jacket from the chair he’d thrown it over. Without saying another word, he left the apartment with North and Tina. 

The ending of the evening had been abrupt and unsettling, and Gavin found himself in bed earlier than he normally would be, restless and uneasy. 

He pulled out his phone.

Gavin: Hey. Terrible question probably, but are you ok?

Nines: I’m not sure. Better than Ada, at least. 

Gavin: Figures. Do you think he did it?

Gavin: Fuck sorry that was an insensitive question, wasn’t it. 

Gavin: Shit

Nines: It’s okay. 

Nines: I don’t know? I don’t like my father but I don’t know if he’d straight up murder someone. It’s strange.

Gavin: I can imagine. Sorta. Lemme know if you need anything.

Nines: Thanks Gavin. 

Gavin: Don’t mention it.

Gavin was about to put his phone down again when another message from Nines came in.

Nines: Don’t let this ruin today, okay? You helped win a high profile case. That’s amazing. No matter what else happened. 

Gavin: Thanks Nines

Nines: Don’t mention it :) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry this chapter took a while. I know shit about legal procedures so I had to do some research and then I still ended up glossing over it XD
> 
> I hope you enjoyed regardless, and see you for the next one!
> 
> -X


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ada gets into a lot of trouble, but there's hardly anything she can do about it. At least she's got a brother to help her through.

**_Ada_ **

Ada couldn’t move. She heard the click of the front door as it fell closed after their friends, watched as Nines got up from the couch and started pacing around the living room. She felt frozen. Almost like her own heart had stopped with the news of another’s death. Her head was trying to grasp the information it had just been given, but it kept falling apart into incomprehensible pieces she didn’t seem to be able to process. 

It was Nines who spoke first. “Chloe’s  _ dead _ ?”

He grabbed his laptop and Ada watched as he looked up the local news. They’d spent the past couple of days so engrossed in the Vanderberg case that they’d apparently managed to miss something this big.

“She was found yesterday,” Nines said, scanning the report. “In - oh my god, Ada I’m sorry.”

“Tell me!” Ada demanded. 

“She was found yesterday when a sailor spotted a group of crows picking at something on the edge of our property. He couldn’t really make out what it was well enough, but he thought it was suspicious so he reported it to the police. They found Chloe buried in a shallow grave that had become mostly uncovered by the heavy rain from the past few days. She - she was stabbed multiple times.”

Ada felt nauseous. This couldn’t be real. 

“Why do they think dad did it?” She asked. “Just because they found her body on the manor grounds? That’s no proof.”

“It’s an understandable lead,” Nines said carefully. 

“Our father is many things, but he’s not a murderer, Nines!”

“I don’t know what to think, Ada! They brought him in, didn’t they? They must have some reason to believe he might’ve done it!”

“Innocent until proven guilty,” Ada spat. 

Nines’ expression softened. “Of course. Always.”

Ada felt her anger fade as well. Being angry at Nines wasn’t helpful. He was just as shocked as she was, she knew that, even if his relationship with their father was tainted. 

“Oh my god, Chloe is dead,” Ada whispered. 

Nines sat back down next to her on the couch and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. Ada tried to suppress the tears that started welling up in her eyes, but she didn’t last very long. She was sobbing into Nines’ shoulder and suddenly she felt so young again. Suddenly she was that teenage girl of barely 18 again, sitting on her brother’s bed crying her eyes out, feeling like the whole world had betrayed her and he was the only one she could ever trust again. 

_ Five years earlier _

“Hey Chloe,” Ada said, as she stepped out of the elevator at the top floor of Cyberlife. 

Chloe was sitting behind her desk, typing away, probably emailing someone who’d tried to get and been denied an interview with Elijah Kamski. She looked up when Ada spoke and smiled that smile that made Ada’s knees buckle. She looked stunning, as she always did, and Ada tried very hard to appear like she wasn’t affected too much by it. 

“Hello Ada,” Chloe said. “Your father isn’t in, I’m afraid, he went out for lunch with a colleague.”

“I know,” Ada said, walking up to the desk. “I’m here to see you.” 

Chloe sighed and averted her eyes. “Ada, you know you can’t keep showing up here.”

Ada walked around the desk and sat down on top of it, right next to Chloe, determined to not be ignored. She crossed her legs and put a hand on top of Chloe’s. 

“Then why don’t you send me away, Chloe?” she asked. “You never actually send me away.”

Chloe sighed and rubbed her temples. “You’re impossible.” 

Ada smiled widely, knowing she’d won. “You love it, though.”

Chloe got up out of her chair and nudged Ada’s legs apart to stand between them, wrapping her arms around Ada’s waist. “Yes, I do.”

* * *

Ada knew that Nines suspected  _ something  _ was up, as she’d been disappearing a lot and not telling him anything about what she was doing. He probably suspected she was seeing someone, but Ada took comfort in the fact that he very likely at least didn’t know who it was.

Since the start of summer Ada hadn’t seen Chloe half as much as she would like. To make it worse, Chloe hadn’t been replying to her texts an awful lot, and when she did reply, the answers were short and deflecting. She kept saying she was busy. It was making Ada restless, and today she’d snapped. She’d logged into her dad’s schedule - he thankfully still hadn’t figured out that she could do that - checked to see if he’d indeed be out for lunch, and thrown a half-assed excuse at her brother. He’d raised his eyebrows at her skeptically, but hadn’t said anything as Ada raced out the door.

She walked through the doors of the Cyberlife building, greeted David at reception, who let her into her father’s private elevator without question. They knew her well here; she and Nines had spent a lot of time in the tower when they’d been a lot younger, coming by after school to make their homework in their dad’s office and nosy around all the restricted areas, eager to find out what secrets they were working on. 

Ada rode the elevator up to the top floor. There was a slight flutter in her stomach, a familiar feeling. It came with the anticipation of seeing Chloe, always still, even after all these months. It came with the weak warnings in the back of her head, saying she shouldn’t be doing this, not in such a public place where they could so easily be caught; warnings that only made Ada want to do it more. She wiped down her slightly sweaty palms and stepped through the elevator doors as they slid open. 

A lot of things happened at once. 

Chloe’s head snapped toward Ada and she gasped, grabbing at her blouse and trying to cover herself. Elijah managed a surprised “Ada!”, eyes wide with shock as he pushed Chloe off his lap as if it would help hide anything. Ada dropped the tray of hot coffees she’d picked up for Chloe and herself, felt the hot liquid splash against her legs through her thin linen pants, but she didn’t feel the burn. 

Most people would’ve run. Averted their eyes, stumbled their way back into the elevator, left. Ada didn’t. 

“When you told me you were busy I have to admit I thought you meant something else,” Ada said, breaking the heavy silence. “You know -  _ work stuff _ . Then you might consider this work. It’s not like you’d ever have told me anyway.”

“Ada, what-” Elijah started. 

Ada walked forward a couple paces, to where Chloe was standing, shivering, clutching her blouse like it could protect her. “Did you think this was never gonna come out? Are you really that stupid? Hell, Chloe, I can’t fathom how you thought this was gonna end if not like this.”

“Ada, I’m sorry,” Chloe whispered. 

Ada snorted. “I’m sure you are.” Behind her she tried to ignore the obscenely loud sound of her father zipping his pants up. A wave of nausea washed over her. “I’m sure you’re very sorry how this all turned out.”

“I - Ada, I-” Chloe stammered. 

“Chloe, get out,” Elijah said, in that soft, demanding voice Ada knew meant danger. 

Chloe clearly knew it, too, grabbing her pumps from the floor and all but running for the elevator. It closed with a  _ ding  _ and the heavy silence returned to the office. Ada still had her back turned to her father, unsure whether she could deal with seeing him like this. Uncharacteristically disheveled, no shirt, no shoes, hair down, evidence of what he’d been up to moments earlier too clear to ignore. 

“I take it you weren’t here to see me,” he said after a while. 

“Did you know?” Ada asked. It was the only question on her mind. The only question that really mattered. 

“Listen, Ada, this - this thing I have with Chloe is inconse-”

“ _ Did you know _ ?” Ada demanded, turning around to face him now. “About me and Chloe? Tell me, now!”

“I did not,” her father answered, voice steady. “Ada, I promise you I had no idea.”

“Okay,” Ada breathed, her stomach settling somewhat. “Okay. That’s all I need to know. I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll see you at home, dad.”

She’d kept it together during her drive back home, pulled the car up to the driveway, and walked back into the house, her legs on autopilot, her mind empty, apart from flashes of the earlier scene that kept playing back. Her legs carried her up the stairs, down the hallway, to the second door on the left. She didn’t knock, but pushed through, walking past Nines sitting at his desk and sat down on his bed without saying a word. 

He spun his chair to face her but didn’t say anything as she kicked off her shoes, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. 

“I hope you never fall in love,” she said to him quietly. 

The tears came then, finally,  _ finally.  _ They started silent, running down her cheeks, staining her pants where her chin was resting. Nines walked over to the bed and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm tightly around her shoulder. Ada turned her face into his shoulder, flinging her arms around her brother, reaching for familiarity, for comfort, for  _ safety _ . Heavy sobs shocked through her whole body, and he just held her without question, without speaking at all. Just a steady arm around her, his chin on top of her head, grounding her. 

Ada had no idea how long they’d been sitting there when she finally felt herself calm. Her eyes still watery, skin around her nose raw, voice hoarse. 

She told him everything. Start to finish, leaving nothing out. He’d never judge her. She knew that. He listened to all of it, and when she was done he hugged her again. 

“It’ll be okay,” he said softly. “You never have to see her again. And I’ll talk to dad.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Ada said softly. 

“No, I don’t,” Nines agreed. “But I will.

_ Present day _

“Are you sure you want to go?” Nines had asked that morning. He’d asked when he’d handed her a cup of coffee, again when she was brushing her teeth, when she’d gathered her books, and right before they stepped into professor Fowler’s classroom. 

“I’m sure,” Ada had replied every time. If she stayed at home all she’d be doing all day was watch the news. Or worse, she’d try to find out where they were holding their father. It was too early to do anything for him. It would take another day or two before there’d be a bail hearing.  _ If  _ there’d be a bail hearing. And then the question remained whether bail wouldn’t be denied altogether. It hung in the balance as long as Ada had no idea whether there was any real evidence against him. All the questions in her head were loud, and she’d rather silence them by going to class. 

They were at Fowler’s office now. None of their three friends had mentioned the Kamski case, which Ada was grateful for. On the other hand, she was starting to think that maybe talking to them might be helpful even just to be able to vent. She was pretty sure they’d let her, try to support her even. Entrusting her thoughts and feelings to someone other than Nines was an unfamiliar impulse, but not an unwelcome one. 

Professor Fowler had left them at the office with Chris about an hour ago for an appointment with a potential new client, and with their previous case closed, they didn’t have much more to do that file it away. They took to their readings to fill the time, comparing notes, with Christ chiming in to help them out whenever he could. 

When Fowler eventually returned, he slammed the door behind him and marched straight into his office without looking at any of them. “Kamski’s! In here, now!”

Ada and Nines got up hesitantly, and followed him. Ada crossed her arms tightly across her chest, suspicion settling in the back of her mind. 

“Close the door, sit down,” Fowler said. He waited a moment for them to follow instructions. “As you might have guessed, I just had a meeting with your father.”

“Are you taking his case?” Ada asked hopefully. 

“You understand that even if I were, you’d not be allowed to help due to personal interest, right?” Fowler pointed out.

“Of course,” Nines answered. “But you’re not, otherwise you’d not have phrased that question that way.”

“Correct,” Fowler agreed. “I am not taking your father’s case.”

“Why not?” Ada snapped. 

The doorbell rang.

Fowler sighed. “Loyalty, I suppose. Having an opinion is not my job, it’s deemed unprofessional, and for good reason. I can’t take your father’s case because of personal bias.”

“What, why?” Ada asked, as someone knocked on the door of the office. 

“I’m sorry,” Fowler said, looking straight at Ada as he got up from his chair and opened the door. Chris was waiting outside, looking nervous. Behind him stood two policemen.

“Ada Kamski?” One of them asked, stepping around Chris into the office. 

Ada stood up slowly. “Yes.”

“Miss Kamski, you are under arrest for suspicion of the murder of Chloe Arties. This is necessary to allow the prompt and effective investigation of this offence. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something which you later rely on in court, and anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

The world around her seemed to slow down. Her ears were ringing as the two officers stepped up to her. She only vaguely registered Nines’ words of protest as she held out her hands to be cuffed. She let herself be walked through the door, past her friends, disbelief on their faces. North looked at her with wide eyes, but there was something feral behind the confusion. Ada shot a pleading look at Gavin, unsure whether he’d catch her intent. The small nod he gave her in return was somewhat comforting. 

As she stepped through the door into the fresh air, the world sped back up, the noise returned. 

“Let go of me, Reed!” Nines snarled behind her. 

“You can’t do shit for her right now, Nines,” Gavin replied, slightly strained.

As Ada got into the back of the police car and drove off, she didn’t look back once. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a whiiiile. Sorry I've been slow on updating this fic, I've had a lot of different things on my mind. It does feel good to be back at it though. Even if I'm just putting Ada through all of the bad shit again. It's a theme. I'm sorry. 
> 
> Hope to see you for the next one!
> 
> -X


End file.
